Conventional material processing machines used in, for example, the agricultural industry for feed chopping and mixing may include one or more rotating elements having discs or flighting extending from the elements. The flighting typically engages the material to be chopped and/or mixed and rotation of the rotating element with the material in contact with the flighting causes the chopping and/or mixing of the material. In certain conventional feed mixers, intended to receive all or a large part of a large bale of hay or other feed, the outer edges of conventional flighting, which may have knives attached thereto, are configured to press the bale against a side of a mixing or processing tub to assist in breaking up the bale. See FIGS. 12 and 13 and the discussion below regarding these drawing figures. This structure may potentially place large stresses on the tub walls, the rotating element, the shaft providing rotational force to the rotating element and the motor or drive engaging the shaft. In addition to possible lateral stresses, such a pressing against the side of a mixing tub can require a great deal of torque from the motor or drive.
Examples of conventional machines for processing materials include but are not limited to vertical rotary feed mixers, horizontal rotary mixers and bale choppers, bale processors, feed spreaders, manure and barn waste spreaders, augers and materials handling equipment, and other similar equipment. Other machines that include similar rotating elements such as screws, augers, flights, etc., may include but not be limited to combines and harvesters, bulk hay wagons, wood or brush chippers, and certain types of rotary pumps.
Improvements to these types of machines that typically include rotating screws, flights or augers, are desirable.